It's A Mad, Mad World
by jefronp
Summary: Cat has a secret and her best friends will do anything to find out what it is. Even if it means endangering their lives.


It was a Tuesday morning when Cat came running up to her, excited, out of breath and bouncy for no reason at all. She was half asleep, hadn't had her morning coffee yet, and was just tired. Beck had his arm around her and was kissing the side of her head in an effort to get her to relax and wake up, but it wasn't working. Not until Cat blurted out her news.

"Jade, when was the last time I saw my mother?" She asked her, her violet eyes big and full of curiousity and bewilderment.

Jade shrugged, "I don't know...a while ago?"

"Yeah, but okay.. when was the last time I saw her?" She repeated her question differently in an effort to get Jade to understand her excitement.

"I don't know... when was the last time you felt you saw her?" Jade asked back, causing her boyfriend to realize when she was half asleep, she sure seemed to have lots of wisdom coming from nowhere.

"A year." Cat said, a smile growing on her face. "I saw her a year ago... and now she's back!"

That seemed to wake Jade up, "What!"

"She's across the street from us, staying at the neighbor's house!" Cat got more and more excited the more she spoke.

"How do you know?"

"Because..." Cat whispered, calming down, "I saw her looking at me through the upstairs window."

_Ten months before... _

Jade was laying on a hammock next to Cat, staring up at the clear night sky. It was a rather cold night, Cat shivering in nothing but an oversized sweatshirt and booty shorts, while Jade-the more sensible one-had on leggings, one of Beck's plaid shirts, unbottoned, a white tanktop and _socks_. They had been staring up at the sky for about an hour, in silence. Cat's wandering thoughts always of course wandering, and Jade's pretty much centered and fine.

"What do you think is up there?" She whispered, as Jade looked at her. "Are all the people who died that we know... or don't know up there? Just living life day to day like we are?"

Jade bit her lip, she knew Cat was still trying to get used to the death of her father. But it was hard, not only on her, but on everyone else. Especially Jade who had gone through something similar with her own mother when she was little... way younger than Cat had been. "Y-yeah." Jade whispered, "I think they're up there, watching us, making sure we don't screw up on anything."

"But what if we do?" She asked, her eyes still facing the sky, searching. "What if we screw up? Are they disappointed in us like they would've been if they were alive?"

Jade stayed silent for a moment, unsure of how to really answer that question. After few more minutes of silence, Cat then sat up. Jade watched her, confused. "What are you doing?"

"I-I have to take my medication." She said, and Jade nodded, waving her off. Cat was prescribed anti-depressants, ADHD medication, and mood relaxants to make her feel somewhat level-headed about everything that had gone on. They seemed to work-for the most part, until Jade had seen _exactly _what she had been taking for the past week that night. Cat pulled out of her pocket, a pink pill. She held it in her hand, and looked at Jade who just looked back at her.

"What is that?" Jade asked her, knowing that her regular medication had letters and numbers indented in them, which was unlike this one, which just looked like a normal pill... a _drug_.

"It's my medication." Cat shrugged, and moved it to in between her index finger and thumb, staring at it. "it makes me feel good."

"What do you mean it makes you feel good?"

"I mean, it makes me feel happy." Cat whispered as Jade sat up and looked in between her and the pill. But before she could say another word about it, Cat had tipped her head back and swallowed the pill dry. And then, almost a minute later, she just lay back down her arms wrapped around her waist and started to giggle.

Jade just looked at her, confused, worried, and pissed off all at the same time. What the _hell _had Cat just taken and where the _fuck _did she get it?

That next day, Jade didn't see Cat. Not because she was mad at her or anything, but because Cat wouldn't answer her _calls_. She paced back and forth in her bedroom checking her phone over and over to see if she would call back, but she _didn't_.

It began to worry her, but she figured she was with her aunt shopping or whatever and had just forgot to take her phone. That was typical Cat.

The next day, same thing, no call, text, or answer. _Nothing_.

By the time she spoke to her again, they were back in school, and it was lunchtime, which was strange because Cat was usually at school on time _no matter what_.

"Hi-hi!" She exclaimed, taking a seat beside Robbie who looked at her confused. She looked around a happy smile on her face. "What's going on?" And then as soon as it was there, it disappeared. "Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Cat." Jade began gently, "Where were you the last two days and then today for the first half of school?"

She didn't answer for a moment and Jade immediately knew something was up. "I...was with my aunt. We-we went to see my dad..." She spoke softly.

"Okay, then what about today?" Jade asked, not buying her story.

"I...was sick this morning." Cat blurted. "So, yeah, that's why I wasn't here."

"Cat you can't just-" Jade began, but was cut off by Beck putting hand on top of hers, as Cat turned to talk to Robbie.

"Just drop it for now." He whispered in her ear, and all she could do was nod.

That Saturday, Cat was over at Jade's. Only, they had plans for four o clock and she'd shown up and hour later. When Jade opened the door, to say she was pissed off, would be an understatement.

"Okay! I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me!" Cat said, panicking as soon as she opened the door. "My aunt was-"

"Sure, whatever." Jade said and let her inside, Cat walked in a little nervously. Jade turned around and had noticed she had her hand in the pocket of her _unfamiliar _hoodie and was playing with something in it nervously. "Okay, first of all, Cat, where did you get that hoodie?"

"What?" Cat seemed dazed and Jade rolled her eyes. "Oh, this one? It's Justin's."

"It's Justin's?" Jade repeated flatly crossing her arms over her chest, "And who's Justin?"

"He's-he's..." Cat trailed off as something caught her interest on the floor, which turned out to be Jade's dog, Sophie, who she began to pet.

"CAT!" Jade yelled impatiently and her head snapped up to look at her. "Who is Justin?"

Cat stood up, putting her hands in her pocket, she just shrugged nonchalantly. "He's my boyfriend." She said and then bent down again to pet Sophie. After a few minutes silence, she looked up, "So, what do you want to do today?"

"I..uhm..." Jade trailed off and blinked then came back to earth. "Let's go see a movie."

"Kaykay!" Cat said brightly, and Jade nodded, they walked upstairs to her room, found an appropriate movie time for them both, and got ready to go out.

Cat had brought clothes with her, and had really out done herself when getting ready. She put her long bright red hair in a ponytail, applied perfect make-up (as usual), and had on short shorts, a tank top and Justin's hoodie. On her feet were old warn out keds and to say she looked cute would be an understatement, when she really just looked _adorable_.

Jade on the other hand looked her usual self with leggings, a black tank top and a long sleeved black shirt with her usual turquoise streak in her black hair. Cat had insisted on doing her make-up and that's where they were now.

"Stop, Jade!" Cat giggled as Jade swatted her hand away from her eyes. "Don't move!"

"Cat! I'm begging you, don't make me look like a clown... or like _you_." An emotion flashed through Cat's eyes when she'd said it, but it soon passed as quickly as it had come.

"I won't." Cat smiled at her gently, and then quickly finished seeming a bit anxious, her hand shaking.

Jade stood up and grabbed them looking at her concerned. "Are you alright?" Cat nodded.

"Turn around." She whispered and Jade did only to see Cat had done her make-up _perfectly_, just the way she had wanted it.

She turned and smiled at Cat, "You know.. you're really good at this make-up thing."

Cat shrugged, "What can I say? It's a gift." She said and then started to giggle. Jade started to put earrings on so Cat excused herself, "I'll be right back.. I have to go take my medication first okay?" Jade had stopped what she was doing and started to stare at her through the mirror, she had a concerned look on her face, but before she could say a word, Cat left the bathroom.

Well, fuck.

An hour later, they were at the promenade where the movie was playing, just walking around and laughing while Cat decided to run in front of her and do a spontaneous cartwheel. Jade clapped her hands, but shook her head and walked past her as she'd landed on her ass.

"Nice one, Cat." She said and Cat just sighed.

"You try it!" Cat pouted and Jade laughed again wrapping her arms around the smaller girl she held her close, and squeezed her.

"Not a chance, Valentine." Jade said releasing her laughing as Cat rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say," Cat said, as she pulled out her phone, her eyes lit up as she saw what was on the screen and typed back at rapid speed. By the time she was done, they had walked up to theatre and had gotten their tickets. They were just about to enter the doors, when Cat's name was called. She turned around and squealed excitedly running to the small group just ahead of them telling Jade she'd be "right back."

"Cat!" Jade called after her and rolled her eyes frustratedly running after her.

"Oh my god!" She heard Cat say when she'd caught up to her. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're just walking around, what are you doing here?" A girl asked her, shoving Cat's shoulder playfully. Jade felt an emotion she'd never really felt before when it came to Cat. She felt _jealousy_.

"Hey!" She said in a warning tone and Cat looked at her, pushing an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear she looked in between the two groups. "Oh, no! It's okay! Jade, this is Tiffany," She said pointing at the blonde girl who'd shoved her, "and that's Pattie... and next to her is Justin!" She said laughing when the boy who was there pulled her towards him and kissed her cheek and then tickling her.

Jade made a face, it wasn't even cute when Beck did it to her and he'd been her boyfriend for _three years_.

"Uh, Cat?" Jade said, and Cat turned to her. "This is my boyfriend...ahhh!" She squealed when he tickled her. "J-Justin!" She finally said.

"Oh, that's good." Jade's tone was cold, but Cat didn't pay any mind to it knowing she'd get over it sooner or later.

"And this is Jade, she's my best friend!" Cat said turning to her and giving her, her usual cute smile.

"How do you know them?" Jade asked, and Cat laughed again, this time when Justin had pulled her in for a kiss, and she'd broken it, causing him to tickle her once more. Okay, now this was getting _really _annoying.

"We all live at the centre." Pattie said. "Cat's our friend there."

"The centre?" Jade questioned, but before anyone could answer her, Cat spoke up. _As usual_.

"We have to go! The movie's about to start! I'll see you guys later!" She said and then kissed Justin really quickly before taking Jade's hand and pulling her with her into the movie theater. "Bye!"

"Cat. Cat... Cat!" Jade spoke loudly, pulling her hand from Cat's surprisingly _tight_ hold. "Who are they and what the hell's the centre?"

"I'll tell you later! Come on! We have to go! The movie's going to start without us and I really want to see it!"

Jade sighed annoyed, she wasn't going to get the answer out of Cat now, but it didn't mean she was gonna give up. She was going to get the answer out of her friend sooner or later, and since she was spending the night she knew that was a good time as any to do it.


End file.
